COAL, ASH, WATER & SAND

THE CHARLES STREET COALING TOWER

Engines were originally coaled from a coal dock which was replaced by a self-propelled coaling crane in 1906. The concrete coal tower was built in the 1920's with a capacity of 1,045 tons of coal. It was demolished soon after steam use ended in 1952. Coal was delivered to the bunkers from the track that passed under the tower on the right in the picture below. Coaling chutes were on the two outside tracks and the track that passed under the left side of the tower. The coal tower did not have sand delivery apparatus. In the picture below, 3342 is on one of the two inbound tracks each of which had an inspection pit, an ash pit and a sand tower. The second inbound track is the one that passes under the coal tower on the Ashburton Street side (left of picture below). An outbound track served by a coaling chute was on the Ashburton Street side of the coal tower. The two outbound tracks on the right side of the picture below did not have servicing facilities except for a water crane. Two water cranes were also placed where they serviced engines entering the inbound tracks and the engines exiting on the outbound coaling track.

R-1-b 3342 sits on the Charles Street ash pit before the massive concrete coal bunker at a time when steam locomotives have become scarce.

CHARLES STREET COALING PLANT IN 1924

The view is toward the roundhouse with Ashburton Street on the right. The track under the three chutes is an inbound servicing track. The gondolas are on the coal delivery track. A second inbound servicing track is also under the coal tower behind the gondolas. On the far side of the tower are coal delivery chutes to the outbound track along Ashburton Street.

Collection of Robert Goulet

An I-2 Pacific has had her coal pile topped-off on the outbound coaling track and is ready to back to the Providence station for a Boston local. Views of the Charles Street engine yard from Ashburton Street seem to be rare. The whitewashed pilars suggest this is the 1930's when there was time for doing things right. The inspectors building below is also whitewashed as was the roundhouse, particularly the inside to increase illumination. There were two inspection pits by the inspectors' building, both of which could be reached by a staircase to a tunnel which connected the two pits. Good practice dictated that a locomotive be inspected on arrival so that it could quickly either be scheduled for immediate return to service or for repairs or maintenance.

J-1 3018's tender is filled at the water crane on the south side of the coal tower on August 17, 1937.

Otto Perry Photo From Collection Of Denver Public Library

F-5 157 at the Charles Street coaling tower. A hopper car can be seen on the coal delivery track under the bunkers. On the far side of the car are two more coaling tracks. The 2-8-0 was photographed in June, 1937 with freshly painted cylinders with silver cylinder heads. Silver and white trim was common on the New Haven when steam was the primary power.

F-5 2-8-0 155 stands on one of the two ready tracks west of the coaling tower.

PHOTO BY HORACE D. BROMLEY

View from the turntable end of the engine terminal in the early 1950s. Wet sand bin is on the right, coal delivery and ash tracks on the left.

The FM road switcher is on an ash pit. The presence of the gondola on the coal and ash track suggests steam locomotives may still be operating.

The coaling tower was removed soon after steam operation ended early in 1952. PHOTO BY LEO KING

An ALCO DL-109 0723 stands at the coal tower near the end of the concrete giant's existence.

The Charles Street coaling tower was a landmark for passengers on trains east of the Providence station. Here a westbound local powered by an I-4 Pacific passes the engine terminal in August 1937. The telltales warn trainmen of the now gone Chalkstone Avenue bridge.

OTTO PERRY PHOTO FROM COLLETION OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

THE CHARLES STREET ASH PITS AND WATER TANK

The two Charles Street ash pits are filled with water used to douse the hot ashes. The ashes are removed from the pits by a self-propelled crane and dumped into the gondola and hopper car on the ash track. The New York Central hopper car on the coal delivery track holds a load for the coaling plant from which the picture was taken. The two service tracks become one and pass under the coaling tower. The structure is the tool checker's building.

One of the two ash pits at Charles Street is in front of Y-4-a 3610. Behind it is a hose for washing the ash pan and hopper and a long fire cleaning tool. The three-cylinder 0-8-0 is on a siding with an outbound track between the pit and the siding. The foreground track held ash cars which were loaded by a self-propelled crane

ASHES FILL THE PIT TO THE RAIL HEIGHT.

A mobile crane will soon move from its track off the turntable and lift the ashes into a car on a service track between the two ash pits. The pit is about 110 feet long and will hold ashes from many engines before requiring emptying. Y-4-a 3615 is on the holding siding. An outbound track is between it and the ashpit..

PHOTO BY CHARLES A. BROWN

R-1 3305 on the ash pit in August 1937. An ash car is on the right. The sand delivery boxes are behind the tender near the turntable.

Otto Perry Photo from the Collection Of The Denver Public Library

I-1 1003 ON THE WEST ASHPIT

The tool checker's building is behind the tender with the sand delivery bins and the roundhouse to the rear.

The wooden water tank stands behind a line of 0-8-0 switchers on a siding behind an outbound track. The tank is relatively small since metered city water was apparently the main source and storage was not necessary. In the foreground is the end of the ash pit with the top of a car stop which protects the tool checker's building. The three-cylindered Y-4 3601 photographed in August 1947 was one of many that worked the Northup Avenue hump yard. The switchers are probably sitting on the spur during a weekend lull in yard work.

H.L.Goldsmith Photo

K-1-b Mogul 365 is awaiting duty on August 17,1937. The 1904 product of the Rhode Island Locomotive Works is being held on the siding between the brick supply house, water tank and ashpits. Notice the wheel stops.

OTTO PERRY PHOTOGRAPH COLLECTION OF DENVER PUBLIC LIBRARY

CHARLES STREET SAND TOWERS

Sand in the bin on the left was dried in the whitewashed concrete building and piped with compressed air across the tracks on a bridge to the two dissimilar towers which supplied sand to the locomotives

A fan trip photo taken around 1947 showing sand towers at the end of the inverted girder 95 foot turntable. Engines had to enter the turntable at the control cabin end where the turning motor was located. As can be seen, the other end was slightly higher than track level and engines clumped off that end as it settled when the engine moved off (the weight of the engine on the motor end provided traction for turning). The photo shows the flat metal piece that was pulled across the rail ends to keep the rails aligned when an engine exited.

An FM road switcher is being sanded from the steel drums which replaced the wooden bins used for steam locomotives. The new sanding towers had piping which could reach the sand box locations of a variety of New Haven diesels.

PHOTO BY EDWARD J. OZOG

View toward turntable of FM road switcher No. 599 receiving sand.

Photo by Leo King

TURNTABLE

The 95-foot turntable with inverted girders to allow for a shallower pit.

The machine shop is on the left next to the new three-stall addition to the roundhouse in the middle of the photograph.